


bulletproof hearts

by madolche



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Assassin!Hanzo, Blackwatch (Overwatch) - Freeform, Blackwatch Era, Blackwatch Genji Shimada, Blackwatch Jesse McCree, Bounty Hunters, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Redemption, Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-12 17:21:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19949992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madolche/pseuds/madolche
Summary: Hanzo, raised by a clan of assassins, chose not to inherit the Shimada empire after the assassination of his brother and abandoned all he knew, dropping off the face of the earth to start anew. Travelling the world, he picks up occasional bounty hunting jobs all while putting the ghosts of his past life that haunt him, to rest. This one mission might be his downfall if he's not careful. assigned to take down  high-risk traffickers from importing various firearms, Hanzo clashes with the Blackwatch division -- and meets a certain cowboy who's also chasing after the same culprits; as well as a familiar... face.





	bulletproof hearts

**Author's Note:**

> this is gonna be a 9 chapter story; i've written everything before hand and after each chapter has been revised, i'll upload all of them slowly. thank you for understanding!

It all began where it ended; that much was true. As much as some chose not to dwell on the memories of our past that haunt us to the point of wanting eternal peace, sometimes it's not that easy. A wavering pulse beckoned from within a heavy chest, stricken with guilt for decades over what he had done, and still, he did not know why he found himself back in Hanamura once more. Not for his own sake, of course. He would never travel back here unless it was for business purposes, and the job here had a decent weigh-in to be heavily compensated for -- What did he have left to lose? Being an assassin for hire is all part of his motif. In order to live, he had to be his own boss, do things on his own time, and getting paid for it was just a bonus. All while still enjoying the freedom he never had since birth.

Hanzo had chosen a different path in life. One that was led to be a grave mistake, or so said the elders, and his father; people he had looked up to. He felt he had betrayed them, but life had a better path for him. Without the restraints that bound to his wrists, preventing him from doing what he wanted, instead of what others chose for him, he needed solace. He wanted his own life, by his own hands. Just like that, before he could even plan accordingly so when he would forsake as the next heir, he was given the task of destroying his brother, which in turn, destroyed him. He couldn't even return without the dread devouring his heart, and heavy feet pushing him as far as he could go to get away from his home. But he was back, it was just on different terms.  
He hadn't even stayed in contact. He changed identities, went under many names, and made sure he could never be found by never settling down in one location for more than a couple of weeks. Sometimes less than, just to be sure.

  
This time it's different. He was back, given a tip that criminals were back in Hanamura, and it was the least Hanzo could do since he was close by, despite not stepping foot on this sacred place he was once called home, for decades.

_Perhaps this time around, it will go more smoothly so that I don't find myself here longer than I need to be._ Thoughts suddenly pummeled and distracted him from his memories from the past, and all he could do was physically stiffen up, forming a disconcerting scowl on his face. He shook his head, and gave a final exhale to find some composure, and with a push of a button located at the side of his face was a headpiece; a thickly layered mask that had enveloped over face from the nose down was withdrawn. He had to remain unidentifiable, of course. The rest of his armor was plated in gray, some specks of orange, his right arm covered up with some pauldrons and a thin fabric to cover any signs of his dragons. Stormbow remained at his side, clenched in his hand if only for a moment, just to soothe him. Soon after preparing a quiver of arrows, and carefully thrown over his shoulder, hung over the other and against his back, he pressed near his ear. A buzzing sound soon followed, along with three seconds of silence before a person on the other end spoke through the earpiece.

  
"Agent Ryuji," the voice was professional and gruff. "Report. What is your location?"

Hanzo took a moment, realizing the new alias he had chosen hadn't registered with him yet. He was well hidden away to answer, having picked a high advantage point from a building he had scaled with ease earlier after he ran a perimeter sweep of the area. "This is Ryuji," he scanned the area once more before speaking, fingers pressed near his hidden ear. "I have arrived in Hanamura around 0800."

"Right. And your status?" This time the voice was impatient.

"Roughly 10 meters away from the coordinates I was given to inspect the target, and report back," Hanzo replied firmly.

"Roger. Remain keeping watch, report anything suspicious, but do not proceed further than instructed. Remember, once we have confirmed they are receiving the imports, we will send you in to interfere. You copy?"

Before Hanzo could respond, the buzzing noise in his ear had quieted down, and he figured they didn't need him to respond. After calmly nodding to himself, he just accepted that this was how he was always going to be treated until the debt was paid. His jobs were always the same. Always kingpins ordering him around, not really caring for his well-being -- but Hanzo never put his life on the line. If one job was just overbearing, he would send his regards and disappear into another town. Sometimes large sums of money weren't worth his own life. Considering his entire life made for redemption, he wasn't ready yet to give that up.  
With pressure building in his lungs, all he mustered to do was to release another exhale, not having realized he was holding his breath the entire time as he resumed his watch. There hadn't been any activity, yet, and he wouldn't leave his perch until commanded.

He retrieved a small bag that made for easy carrying, hands grasped at small flask and gave it a small shake to weigh its contents. _I should have restocked before I made the journey here, but I suppose this amount will do._ He wryly gave the container another shake before unscrewing the cap and placed it to dry lips, hesitating a moment as his nostrils flared at the scent of strong liquor. He braced, dipping his head back and taking a final swig until the last drop. It was a good thing he wasn't being watched by the group that hired him, or else they would've scolded him for a stupid decision, but he needed to calm his nerves. It was working smoothly.

It was probably no more than 35 minutes until something boisterous stirred at the area he was meant to observe, that Hanzo had finally gathered an advanced device from his bag, pressing a finger to the screen, and soon an image became a 3D hologram before his eyes. It was... very resourceful of them to allow him such a technology that gave him the ease of viewing the hideout without needing binoculars. It was even more brilliant that beforehand he was given intel that they managed to set the place up with cameras so he could monitor the block. All in his hands. He squinted, reaching for the screen and with a swiping motion, he looked through each of the cameras labeled View 1 through 15, one by one, and to his surprise, there wasn't anything worth paying attention to. This would have been much more useful if they placed cameras inside the facility. He felt one side of his lip tug upward, huffing a deep breath. "No, of course, they wouldn't be that intelligent to infiltrate a high-security building to bug it with cameras," he started, rolling his shoulders as he continued checking the live video feed. "Makes sense why they would hire me if they could not do it themselves." Hanzo rarely spoke to himself, but when he did, it was under his breath.

  
He eyed each set view, finally stopping at View 9, and his eyebrows arched at the suspicious actions taking place near the rear of the building. A nameless white truck had arrived, the driver settling down and rolling the window down as a figure approached with an arm raised, and he was greeted by the driver who handed him an unidentifiable object. Hanzo pinched the screen, trying to zoom in, eyeing out what looked like a badge.

  
A small buzz alerted him, and involuntarily he answered irresolutely.  
"I have a target."

  
"Let's not get hasty now," the voice hummed in his ear. Different than the one before. "Be patient."  
It was the boss. Hanzo rested two fingers at the earpiece as if he were to soothe his temples from a headache he felt arriving.

"What are the orders?" He asked tensely.

"We're currently trying to get clear photos of their faces from the cameras to search them, find out if they're a threat, and will report back to you shortly. Stay sharp, Agent."

His arm dropped to his side, his body beginning to lean against the beam that remained a support to prevent him from slouching further and end up on the ground from restlessness. He stared down at the comm device, eyeing the two bodies as they appeared to be exchanging words and not really planning to move from their position.

Once his joints began to ache, he glanced at the empty flask inside his bag and felt a wrinkle at the bridge of his nose; clearly displeased. That would probably help settle his bones at this instant. The last sip hadn't done much but clear his senses, and at this point, he couldn't really ask for much more. Soon when this is all over, he would leave again and never return. Hoping to get as much distance as he could from this place would be his first priority. He decided to flip through the camera views once more, now watching a busy corner a few feet away from the entrance swarmed by traffic. It now was the time to take advantage of any blind spots, and using the business of vehicles trying to navigate through the stoplights, the criminals would use this opportunity. Everything seemed so normal though.

Nothing really happened.

It was then that Hanzo eyed the corner of the screen of View 11, that something in a black shroud, with impenetrable speed, nearly lept from the building adjacent of the hideout, and crawled up the roof. It was almost too smooth and quick, but he caught it. A quick press was all he needed to get their attention through their line of communication.

"Reporting in," he took a breath, "Spotted an anomaly in View Eleven, shall I send the footage to you?" He waited, three minutes passed. His eyes never left the screen.

"Copy that. We saw that, too."

"Well?" He swallowed down the tinge of agitation biting down his throat. "That wasn't any one of yours, was it?"

"N-no, it's just you nearby. Our van is five meters away, and our backup is still secure with us."  
He muttered, unamused. "I see."

"Agent, are you able to close in on the location to get closer? There doesn't seem to be anyone guarding the perimeter right now. They might be rotating shifts. Now might be your chance."

"And the truck?"

"They're gone, so is the other guard. It appeared to be the delivery. The boxes that were carried inside weren't identifiable."

A hand brushed at his left shoulder, crossing over his chest with his right arm, gripping tightly. Something didn't seem right, and his gut wasn't being persuaded by his rational thoughts.

"If by chance, that this other inconvenience was just their own spy sneaking back in without being noticed..?" He mused, awaiting a response.  
It was in distress, but the voice complied. "We've checked their records. If they had hired someone of that ... status ... We would've seen it in their logs. They keep a record of stuff like that."

Unless it was a third party. Hanzo pondered, staring absentmindedly elsewhere as he tuned the voice out. He was greeted with another voice, but this time it was barely a whisper.

  
"Now's a good time than ever to find out."

  
Within moments, Hanzo had quickly gathered his belongings, retrieving some equipment to scale from building to building, just by a simple swinging mechanism the organization he was working for, given to him. It was similar to a grappling hook, but the suspension allowed him to rope from one sturdy object to another; as long as it was capable of withstanding his weight. He hadn't tested it until now, but he was sure to find out soon enough. "Well," he took a breath, adjusting the quiver tightly wrapped around his torso, tucking the comm. device into his satchel that was attached to his hip. "Here we go." He motioned over to the edge, the building meters away from him, nearly ready for an inspection. With the end of the grappling hook, he wrapped it around himself, hooking it onto his belt just in case things went sour, he started to wind up the rope, preparing to aim for metal beams of the structure before him, and then throwing it about several meters away. The hook spiraled, grappling and tying itself around the beam securely, Hanzo pulled to make sure, and then off he went.

It took a strong leap, but the hook stayed firm, and soon after a button was pressed and it reeled him in before he made impact with the building and scaling it to the top. Once he was close to the target in sight, he decided to descend, retrieving the comm. from his satchel mid-scale, and quickly flipping through the Views, specifically the rear where the truck had previously visited. It was still clear.

  
"Agent," the annoying beep in his ear again. He pocketed the comm. again. "The guards are still rotating their shifts, you have about ten minutes."  
Hanzo exhaled, copying the messaging and continued his descent until he reached the ground, heading to the corner about a few meters away this time. "I copy that. I'm heading inside."

  
He took another look around, not spotting any hostiles before making his move, gracefully and with experience, he took a running start and ended up crouched behind a wooden crate that hid his frame. The voice in his ear was back again. "We can see you, we can guide you from here. There's two cameras by the main door, right above. Eleven and one o'clock. Take 'em out and we can help you with the keypad."

  
Stormbow was already in his hands, posed and ready to go even before they had spoken to him, two arrows already prepared, but within a quick succession, he was able to lean from his cover and shoot both arrows from after the other and quickly knocking both of the cameras with ease. The cameras had fallen off the wall, hitting the floor with a strike impact as if almost at the same time. "Good," the voice again. "Now the keypad."

  
He moved from his cover, remaining low to the ground and shuffled over to the door, eyeing the keypad with alertness. "Three minutes," Hanzo removed the comm. from his bag, waiting for his orders. "Place the comm. in front of the keypad, I can disable it with our program here; it'll act like a keycard." He did was he was told, and they were right. A flashing light of green granted him access, and the door slid open, allowing him to enter, and quickly seeking cover. "Okay, good. Now listen closely, you have seven minutes to reach the basement. It's where they're hoarding their intel. We don't know the blueprint of the inside of the building, but I can assume you can work your way around, right? Be stealthy, Agent. Report back when you've succeeded."

  
Hanzo scratched at his beard, taken back by the unrelenting, and unsupported tone. "Why am I not surprised by that?" He cleared his throat, gripping his Stormbow. _At least in short-range combat, I can rely on this for a while. I rather not run into anyone, however, I'm prepared to do so._ He shook his head, peering from the corner of a long hallway, quietly listening. Hm? It was a bit too quiet, but he didn't have time; a guard was probably late heading into this direction for his shift, and Hanzo didn't want to wait to find out. Once the coast was clear, he spotted another hallway further down, and an exit sign above a door. At least he knew his exit plan. But that would be too easy for him.

  
"I know we're not supposed to help you from here on," an unfamiliar voice took over and it was someone he didn't recognize prior, but their tone was soft. "You're in the west wing, right? The basement is nearby. I think."

  
He paused, slowly pacing as he remained crouched, ignoring the pain in his knees until he reached the next corner of the hallway, dipping into shadows of another hallway. "You presume?" He nearly rolled his eyes, whispering, "I thought you didn't know the inner-workings of this building."

"I don't, however," the voice was sharp. "I did a little diggin', and I found the old blueprints, and if they didn't mess with the inside, it should be the same shit, right?" A small laugh followed. "West wing, you're at a hallway with the one you entered in, and a hallway to your right near before the exit door, right?"

Hanzo peeked his head out to confirm. They were right. "Go on," he mused.

"Right, so...!" Silence. "Uh, take that hallway to your right, and head down 'til you see another hallway to your left, at the end of that hallway is a door. The only other door on that floor is that and the exit one. It has stairs that drops to a lower level, and nothin' else. Could be the basement. Avoid the elevator though."  
A bit baffled by that information, he said his thanks and trusted their word.

  
He headed into that direction, stopping just short before the hallway to his right -- spotting no one peculiar or hearing any voices. _Where is everyone?_ Hanzo pursed his lips, glancing down the hallway before continuing, meeting the end of it and was greeted by a door and elevator. He spotted another keypad by the door, grabbing the comm. and hovering it over the device as it flashed green shortly after. This time the door made an unlocking sound, and Hanzo hesitated before grabbing the handle and slowly opening the door with precaution.

  
It was quiet, and there were a few guards scattered about, but they were all focused on the large metal containers at the bottom floor. The stairs only led to the next level of a grated balcony. It was dark, and no one would probably notice him creeping by. Once he was certain to continue, he pushed forward, heading to the next stairs and resumed his objective.

"Agent, do you copy?" Hanzo stopped, ducking behind the metal barrier, and close to the steps that led to the lower level. "I read you." He muttered, "I found the basement. There's several guards, and metal shipment containers below but it seems like they're checking their inventory."

"So they're distracted then? Good. I got a plan."


End file.
